


Crossing Paths

by rekisbestie



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Anger, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, Family Issues, Fanfiction, Fiction, Gangs, Gay, Gay Male Character, Guns, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Manga & Anime, Rivalry, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:00:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29359128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rekisbestie/pseuds/rekisbestie
Summary: [i'm so bad with descriptions i'm sorry, i promise the story is good! give me a chance]what would you do if you continued to cross paths with someone you utterly despised? Every direction you turn, it seems like they're there.move away? grow a pair of balls and be mature enough to ignore it?no.joe refuses to leave Carval City -- his home. he refuses to give in and allow himself to be trampled on by his biggest rival. instead, he adds the notorious 'Cherry' to his list of disposals. However, the part-time waiter becomes the center of chaos when he attends a fellow co-workers wedding - where it's exposed that joe has killed the Dons sister.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Joe

**Author's Note:**

> HI! i'm new to posting on ao3 so i'm still getting used to it.   
> thank you for reading this and i appreciate all of you so much!  
> any feedback or questions are welcomed~

I bet she could feel my twisted grin against her neck as I placed my head between it and her shoulder. I could hear her breathing rapidly when I snaked my hands to her waist and locked my fingers together.

I adjusted my position and my hands were now twitching because of the close proximity of them to her neck. I bit my lip astringently, so much so, that I drew blood.

I closed my eyes once slowly — before getting ready.

my palms were sweaty and my own life clock stabbed into my chest rather roughly, but it only made me feel better 

my hands gripped at her neck and glued to their place immediately. the butterflies in my stomach consumed at my insides and caused my body to shake.

i squeezed.

so hard.

her tears clung onto her cheeks like their life depended on it.

I gritted my own teeth the tighter my hands got and laughed hysterically at myself when i'd noticed my reflection in the mirror. 

The girl's face was blue and I tilted my head like a lost and discombobulated puppy. I pouted. sarcasm oozing from my expression. 

it hadn't taken long for her to turn cold — and  
just as the last drops of her life spilled out.. 

"FUCK!" he barked out.

He pushed the oxygen in and out of his lungs rapidly, sitting himself up so that his back virtually moulded into the hard wooden frame of the bed. He needed to get his thoughts together, and fast.

In these times, when alone with his thoughts, he'd find it facile to slip into an introspective trance, which more than often lead to his crazier moments. Joe was a fucking mess and there was no denying it. He'd found it to be pretty scary when left to have some lengthy thinking time to himself because it tends to cause all sorts of messed up conceptions to come flooding into his messed up brain, like Indonesia's 2004 tsunami. He ends up falling deep into a dark void of his seasonal depression and manic bipolar. If Joe's thoughts were alive, and genuinely sat beside him- it'd be an orgy of sadness, let me tell you.

And when it gets to this point, what is the point? 

Most men self medicate themselves with sports, booze or porn, however Joe — he found joy when hunting his next prey. Or when being in arms reach of death, something he'd obviously caused. 

Maybe it wasn't normal - but at this moment in his woeful life, did he care?

no.

If the stubborn prick was here for the experience, for his own unique flirtation with a world - that only a privileged few have the chance to enter - then his preoccupation with the future herself, was imprisoning him behind the bars of his own high standards and expectations.

After a few days of wallowing in self pity, that ineluctably led to self destruction - and to Joe deciding - punctiliously - where to place the next 'X' on his self-made, tic-tac-toe chart on his littered arms — he'd found the stoutheartedness to get out of bed.

To be honest, the boy felt like shit. After spending the last few days in his own grave, slumbering about 18 hours a day and then filling his not-so-fat face with whatever scraps were left in the fridge. He was exhausted and simply had no energy, and i think it would be fair to say that he looked and smelled like a dosser.

Luckily enough, he sucked up the most diminutive amount of 'go' that he had left in him and climbed indolently into the shower. And — shit, when the scorching water found its way to the many cuts, did reality slap the boy to life.

Though a ten minute shower definitely wouldn't be able to wash away the dirtiness that had built up over those few days - he did look a lot more appealing and somewhat alive. He took the opportunity to clean his appearance up and had a shave that made little to no difference what's so ever. Noticing his thick green hair had grown evidently, so that it was covering the most of his neck, he tied it back into a bun, making a mental note to find a good opportunity to have it cut. The length of his hair didn't bother him much - but he found himself growing more and more similar to his dead-beat dad — and that's the last thing he wanted. 

Surprisingly, during his day's of wallowing in self pity, he received very little messages of concern about his whereabouts. Considering he was the leader of the South end of Carval City's gang, it seemed suspicious. 

Not that he would have replied to them anyway.

However, one message did catch his attention. Joe had been invited to his co-workers wedding next Sunday. If he were to be completely honest; he had not a clue that his co-worker was even in a relationship, let alone getting married. He hated weddings and funerals and any type of sappy emotional social gatherings in general, but accepted the invite nonetheless. Something to do was the only idea that crossed his mind in doing so. 

//

Deciding to venture outside in desperate need of fresh air, he left his apartment and walked quietly along the virtually empty streets. Usually his mind would be plenary at this very moment, but it was pretty empty. The streets around his apartment block weren't the diligent places on Earth but he thought that they were emptier than usual. Did something happen? Is that why no one had messaged him for a job? Joe sighed - not exactly caring - and made his way to the local 'Newz n Booze' corner shop to buy a pack of cigarettes. 

"Tony" he dragged out rather dramatically to make his entrance known and slumped his large frame over the counter of the shop, almost knocking the stack of mentos onto the floor.  
"Eh! Where 'av you been the last few days Joe? You'll never guess what-"  
"twenty pack of malboro ice" he interrupted carelessly.  
The latter clicked his tongue, but grabbed what he was asking for anyway and held them out to him with a bored expression. "are you even gonna listen to what I'm tryna tell ya?" Upon receiving the pack of cigarettes, Joe's mood lightened and he straightened himself up against the counter, leaning with his chin on his hands to demonstrate that he was, indeed listening. 

"well, last week it turns out that Ivy went and dropped dead" he started "they think she was killed y'know." Joe had recognized the name but it wasn't ringing enough bells for him to recollect a face or what was so important about her for people to be talking about it. The man shrugged his shoulders lazily "and? so what?" The shop keeper widened his eyes and laughed marginally "What do ya mean 'so what'? Do you not know who I'm talkin about Joe?"  
When Joe gave no denotements of knowing, Tony hushed his voice and leaned closer to his ear to speak, "Ivy — as in — Cherry's sister." When Tony pulled away and folded his arms over his chest, with a slight grin on his face, Joe mirrored his stance and raised one of his brows. "What's that look for?" Tony didn't say anything, but continued to look at him in the same manner before moving around to start unpacking some new stock. "Oh, come on! You think I had something to do with it?" There was a allusion of amusement in his words, like Tony was unbelievable for even thinking that he had been involved. "You aren't exactly fond of Cherry are ye?" the other retorted from behind one of the shelves. "Can't stand the fucker" Joe replied casually. "And you aren't on the best of terms since he stole a bunch of your men-" 

At this point, Joe thought Tony was being way too inculpating and raised his voice slightly to make himself clear about what he did and didn't do. "Yes, that's true. But I'm not the type to go and kill someone's sister to get back at them. God Tony, what kind of person do you think I am?" And with that, the conversation was over abruptly. "Thanks for the cigs, I'll see you later yeah?" Joe ambulated out of the shop, coolly placing one of the cigarettes into his mouth and lighting it before letting out a long puff of smoke. As he made his way back to his apartment, he found himself staring up at the grey sky above him, shaking his head sightly in amusement.


	2. 'Cherry'

Sakurayashiki Kaoru, or ‘Cherry’, as he likes to go by, is a pretty boy.  
A pretty boy with a killer smile that could get him anything and everything he wanted with just a flash of his pearly white teeth - or an occasional wink, just to not be boring.

He had a fairly normal childhood and grew up with many friends and a loving -- wealthy family. And of course all of the girls swooned over him and his perfect features - he even won homecoming king with no other male even being close to the amount of votes he’d gotten. It was like everything was handed to him on a gold plate, just because he was ‘pretty’. 

pretty.

Oh how that word would haunt him.

Throughout his college years he was praised a lot too, and many of the professors had high hopes for him going places. He took part in almost all clubs and events his college held. Debate club, music club, craft club and the one he was exceptional in; calligraphy club. 

But, Cherry wasn’t all he seemed. Underneath off of that, he was a ruthless gang leader, who did nothing but take , and take, and take.  
And still, was never satisfied. 

He will do whatever he can to be on top - and not because of his looks.

He even ended up luring a gorgeous business woman in with his handsome charms. For a few months it was fine, but he got bored and he could see through her act and knew the reason - and the only reason - she stayed with him was  
A) for the money  
B) because he was pretty.  
Withal, the fact that she had commenced to finally take notice in his not-so-nice side, didn’t precisely “float his boat” either.

And so what did he do? 

He bribed the woman who clearly didn’t love him into being his wife and killed her 2 days later. 

He’d set the dining table with roses and sumptuous glasses of wine. Candles were lit, giving the room a resplendent orange glow and a fairly romantic feel to it.  
Well, minus the fact that he had his newly wed woman tied to the chair opposite him, struggling and screaming at the top of her lungs for him to let her go.

The noise didn’t seem to bother him too much, because he just casually got up out of his seat, walked slowly over to the radio box and raised the volume before swaying his body side to side along with the music. 

Once he’d had enough, though, he turned the music off completely causing a huge change in atmosphere, leaving the woman deathly silent, shaking and sweating, unsure of what he would do next. In all honesty, she knew nothing about her ‘husband’. She never cared to get to know him, or his interest, or about his family, his past, his friends.. 

Cherry was right in the fact that she had only been with him for the money and because she could have the privilege of saying that she had a pretty boy on her arm. Though one might find that upsetting - it didn’t bother the male all too much, purely for the fact that this wasn’t the first occurrence of this type of thing and you could say he was used to it. He had no expectation towards those who claimed to be his friends, or those who showed a deeper interest in him. 

He grabbed his glass of wine and sat on the edge of the dining table with a pitiful expression on his face.Even then he looked beautiful.  
“darling -” he started with a hint of softness in the tone of his voice.  
“I’ll let you go. Just-” At first, he stopped for a little longer than a moment - as of contemplating what he was about to say next, but did so nonetheless.  
“Describe me in one word,” is all that he had to say to her. 

The question seemed strange, seeing as though moments ago he was all-too-ready to kill the woman without a second thought. So, why? What was the meaning of his random question?

She hesitated, trying to think straight. Her life was on the line for such a simple question, but even so - so needed to think. She didn’t reply immediately, but he knew what was coming, and that’s what made him even more angry.

“Pretty”

He laughed. He didn’t actually sound amused in the slightest; but he laughed. Maybe it was the fact that he had a little bit of hope? She may not have been with him for ‘love’ but he had hoped she thought more of him than that. More of him than what everyone else seemed to associate him with. 

He prehended the glass in his hands tightly, cutting his own palm in the process. His hand turned white due to the strength he had, holding onto it. Did he really want to do this? Sometimes, his anger got the better of him. Sometimes he couldn’t control his emotions - because he had to keep all of them in for the majority of his life - living up to his title of the ‘perfect son’. Even if he did have second thoughts; his body moved faster than his mind. 

The glass shattered against the wall, a few inches away from the woman’s head and while she whimpered, hot, steamy tears poured from her eyes - Cherry screamed, then pulled his gun out and shot her right in the head.

That fucking word.

Whilst disposing of the body is authentically when he came across none other than Ainosuke Shindo. I mean, at first, he’d pulled his gun out on him and was yare to shoot - but not before he realized who it was he was pulling his gun out on. Ainosuke was infamously known to be the leader of Carval Cities largest gang. Nobody knew anything of him or his background, but had no trouble trusting him. He was good for a while and was probably one of the most feared people in the city during his time. A smirk played on Cherry’s lips as he had his gun against the man's head. Right then life seemed to be on his side, because when the opportunity to be Kingpin to the most sizably voluminous gang in Carval City, was standing on the opposite end of his gun, he jubilantly accepted the offer.

It didn’t take long for Ainosuke to hand down the position of the gang's leadership to Cherry. Cherry had taken his time to gain the others' trust and become his ‘second-in-command’. To be honest that’s all he was looking for and wanting leadership, wasn’t exactly on his list. However, after an unexpected turn of events (that being Ainosuke being in line to take over his fathers spot in parliament in Lonsdale, a few hours away from Carval) - Cherry proudly took his newly found position and it’s been like that ever since. The gang's only real competition - being the one led by Joe in the East of Carval.


	3. Wedding

The world on the other side of Joe’s bedroom window felt so familiar yet unknown concurrently. It was gelid and grey. The sound of the once desperate rain began drumming down - in a much softer tone - against the glass that had ineluctably fogged over due to the condensation. This was the only sound that had managed to invade his dull mind, other than his own noetic conceptions. The green haired male sat for a while looking.   
Not thinking, not doing, not meaning; just looking.

It brought him a type of placidity that he’d so dearly craved in times like this. The world on the opposite side of his small bedroom window was dying, and he was dangerously close to it. 

Since hearing about the death - no - murder, of Ivy, everything in the South of Carval has fely odd. Did people really believe it was him? His own people distrusted him that much? He knew Tony was only teasing him, but still he couldn’t rid these strange feelings he was experiencing right now. 

Mornings were fake. 

One minute the sunlight would shine down upon the virtually empty streets of South Carval - and smile down on anyone who was brave enough to step foot outside. Then, as afternoon came around, some extra somberness was integrated - as if to remind people that nothing good ever lasts. Yet, at the very same time, everything and everyone seemed to be at an uncomfortable and kind of suffocating tranquility. I guess you could pin it down to the fact that, in such a short time, they’d gotten used to the authentic acerbity of the world they lived in now. The thick clouds above us acted like a cover for the life beneath them; almost reflecting the shielded nature that gave upon us. 

It was strange, it really was.

Ever since Ivy’s death. 

Ever since the finger was wrongly pointed towards Joe.

Ever since the City of Carval had been split and left to be run by two ruthless gangs, because of the many secrets the royals had desisted from them.

For years, it was like they had kept Carval hidden behind metaphorical walls. Kept the people living the most minimalistic life possible - when in reality, there was so much more for them. They royals just didn’t want to ‘waste’ their time with people like them and left them almost deserted. Left them to fend for themselves, resulting in this kind of fate. 

This kind of thing had never bothered Joe this much, but for some odd reason he had found himself overthinking about the situation they were left in. Was he scared of Cherry and his people? Surely not..  
At the end of the day, the only reason their gang was where they are today is money. Cherry came from a wealthy bloodline and that meant that they had a say in what goes on. Especially with no actual government around to maintain even an essence of peace. No wonder the previous Don left for Lonsdale. In all honesty, Joe and his people never had any real issues with the North of Carval or their people, while Ainosuke was around. Other than a few minor disputes, they had a quiet and relaxed lifestyle.

// 

Even though Joe wanted to continue his reminiscing - he had a wedding to attend to. 2 weeks ago he’d accepted the invitation, before finding out he was being accused of murdering Cherry’s sister, Ivy. Now he was shitting it. Would his people suddenly start acting different towards him? What if they tried banding together and offering him as a plea of peace to Cherry, so they could save their own sorry asses? His mind was running laps. He didn’t even feel bad for having such distrust in them. He had been betrayed in the past and wasn’t going to be fooled twice. 

He got dressed into a rather beautiful suit that he has hired just for the occasion. It was a somber navy-blue one that had a luscious four-in-hand tie down to his belly button. The trousers fit impeccably around his well-proportioned thighs. He looked good. It wasn’t exactly any surprise that Joe was a handsome man - it was just the case of if and when he wanted to make the effort to do so. He still hadn’t managed to find the right time to get a haircut, but despite it being in resemblance to his dad, he’d grown to like it. 

After adding a few adjustments to his attire, and making himself smell good with some Versace Eros perfume - he began heading out of his apartment, wanting to take the longer route to the wedding venue, so that he could bathe in the bleak morning air. The rain from earlier had stopped, only leaving puddles on the sidewalk - meaning if someone were to drive by and be in one of those ‘dick-head’ type moods - Joe would be having the pleasure of receiving a free shower. 

During the majority of his walk, he didn’t once think about the situation regarding him and Ivy. He took the time to think about his co-worker. He was getting married! Joe found it crazy the more he said it out-loud. Relationships were never his ‘thing’. He didn’t exactly enjoy the idea of being so.. committed. Well- that was one of the reasons. The main factor that played a part in the reason as to why Joe never tried for such a thing was pure insecurity. Funny, right? On the outside; a strong, determined, cold and rather ruthless bastard and on the inside; an insecure and lonely man with daddy issues. He enjoyed the ‘go-with-the-flow’ nature that he had developed for himself over time and it didn’t look like he was changing any time soon. He had enough things to deal with already. 

//

After an hour or so, he found himself nearing the wedding venue and he could tell that getting through this day - was going to be a task and a half. Judging by the number of cars parked outside and people gathering to say ‘hello’ and take pictures, this wedding was not a small one. He didn’t recall his co-worker having this many friends! Or were they all family? He didn’t know and he wasn’t about to ask the man he had worked 3 years with, about his family. The closer and closer he got - a lot of the guests looked.. different . Of course Joe wouldn’t know everyone there but, it wasn’t just that he didn’t recognise the faces. Their whole vibe was different. They weren’t from South Carval. He knew that much. He gulped at the thought of any of the guests being from the North, or being friendly with Cherry. Had news of Joe’s apparent involvement in Ivy’s murder gotten out? Would they try and pull something on him? Gosh, the man was an overthinker, but he couldn’t help it. 

He’d managed to calm down after a few minutes of slowing down his pace as much as possible - and smoking a cigarette. He decided to wait outside of the venue until someone he recognised showed up - to save him from being completely uncomfortable and vulnerable. It didn’t take long for Hiromi to greet him with a punch to the arm. Hiromi was one of Joe’s longest friends, and quite possibly, the only member of the gang he truly trusted. He was an interesting guy; spending his weeks working as a florist and being a part of a gang. Though, if you met the man when he was at work - and then when he’s doing other business under the name ‘Shadow’ - you’d find it impossible to believe they were the same person. It wasn’t like Hiromi was fake or anything. At the end of the day, he was doing what possible to stay safe. Living in the South of Carval wasn’t exactly a pleasure. Getting on the wrong side of people - in a place with no government and basically no rules - wasn’t a treat for anyone. 

//

The marriage ceremony was boring in Joe’s opinion. He liked his co-worker, sure -- but seeing him be all lovey-dovey with his wife, wasn’t something he would want to witness twice. On the other hand Hiromi loved every second of it. If Joe had caught him crying in the toilet after the “i do’s” - he wouldn’t hear the end of it. The red head was a sucker for all things sweet and it made him even more emotional when he had been asked to sort a bouquet of flowers for the wedding. He loved his job and he loved his friends; as Hiromi and as Shadow. 

When it was time to head over to the wedding reception for the after party, Joe had seriously considered not going and just heading back to his apartment. But despite his desperate attempt to leave - he was pulled into the reception hall nonetheless by a “tipsy” Hiromi - as the florist had described himself to be. It was decorated nicely, nothing over the top, but way too fancy to be deemed simple. Joe found himself walking straight for the drinks once Hiromi had released him from his grip. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but when he did - he drank hard. And the fact Joe was the furthest away from being a light-weight, that wasn’t a positive thing. He poured some Jack Daniels into a small glass and made his way back to Hiromi. 

The more he stayed in the room, the more the idea of the people around him, not being from the South stuck out to him. He wanted to ask the groom about the people and where they were from, why they were here - just so he could calm his paranoia for a bit. However, looking around, the groom was nowhere to be seen. Joe just threw the rest of his drink down his throat and began making his way over to allow himself to make another drink. Just as he was about to pour another glass, though, everyone’s attention was called by the tapping of a spoon to a glass. It was probably time for the newly wed couple to give a speech and thank everyone for attending. So Joe put the bottle down and walked back to his spot - so he could listen and not seem rude.

As he approached the crowd of people gathering to listen to the speech, everything went deadly silent. It was expected, of course, but Joe’s paranoia told him that wasn’t the reason for the sudden change in atmosphere. He felt like everyone was burning holes into the back of his head. 

Ignoring it, he pushed his way carefully through the crowd of people. Making the last few steps to the front of the crowd he tensed, as the room grew cold. He stood up straight - one hand in the pocket of his trousers and the other hanging loosely by his side. Looking up, he saw clearly that it wasn’t his co-worker clinking his glass to grab the people’s attention. Nor was it the wife. 

Stood before him, was the notorious Cherry. 

He was standing with 4 men beside him, but knowing him, Joe figured he had a lot more of his people around. The likelihood of them being mixed in with the guests was high. Maybe it was Joe’s mistake for coming virtually alone, especially after the last couple of weeks. But he couldn’t be thinking about that now - instead he had to deal with the situation at hand, now. He couldn’t help but wonder why here of all places? Why now? But, then again, Cherry was known for doing things his own way. Meaning he could show up anywhere, at any time to settle whatever business he needed to. Joe had a pretty clear idea as to why he was standing here now, though. 

Cherry was dressed fit for the occasion. Wearing a white silk blouse - unbuttoned halfway, that had puffed sleeves and a matching neck tie; along with high-waisted, black trousers paired with a belt. He wore his usual mask that covered from his neck to the bridge of his nose and his long pink hair was tied loosely over his shoulder. The men beside him were in basic black suits and had their hands in the inside pockets, ready to arm themselves if need be. Cherry didn’t seem to be armed with anything himself - so that was a good sign. Or so he hoped. 

A minute or so passed with nothing but unbroken eye contact exchanged between the pair. The room was still deadly silent - nobody dared to move. Joe hated uncomfortable silence the most. It pounded through his eardrums and he felt like he could hear the movement of blood flowing through the bodies around him. So, deciding not to break eye contact as if it was a competition but clearing his throat to speak, he opened his mouth. 

“Why are you here, Cherry?”


	4. Make an Enemy Out of Me

"Why are you here, Cherry?"   
Joe had to repeat himself receiving no response from the latter. He was growing impatient by the minute and Cherry was finding it amusing. After giving up the ignorant act, the pink haired male began to speak. When he opened his mouth, the room felt freezing. 

"I think you already know why." he started but gave no time for Joe to protest before continuing dramatically - making sure to keep the audience's ears open. "BUT-" his long arms shot up into the air rather passionately and he made sure to look every one of the guests in the eyes as he continued "I'm sure the lovely guests here tonight, would love to be informed as to why I decided to make your acquaintance tonight" his mask was pulled down, resting around his neck and his piercing eyes fell on Joe's swiftly and his lip curved up into a half smile. "Don't you?" 

The male felt his heart beat rapidly increase as it pounded through his body. He desperately wanted to snap back with a smart-ass retort, but no words ever made it to the surface. He felt and looked stupid. If his men were here - witnessing such a side to their leader - he could only imagine their faces. It wasn't because Joe was scared of Cherry himself, it was his numbers. It was no secret that the North had the advantage in just about every aspect; people knew people of people who knew people. One wrong move and Joe's head could be on the black market before he had a chance to unlock the door to his apartment. 

Playing the silent game was probably the safest option for now. 

Cherry audibly sighed and turned so that his back was facing Joe. "I expected you to have more to say on the matter, Kojiro. But if there's no objections - I shall proceed." 

There was a loud clinking noise as Cherry turned back to face Joe; now with a Nambu Type 94 8x22mm pistol pointed between his eyes.

There was shuffling from the crowd of people and faint panicked whispers being exchanged. One unfortunate male decided to stupidly step forward towards one of Cherry's men with his arms up in a fighting position. Before the bloke even got in arms reach, a bullet was through his head in less than a second. A loud cry came from a woman perhaps his girlfriend or wife and she scrambled to the floor to shake the man alive. It was a pitiful sight but it was something Joe had seen on a daily basis and it stopped affecting him years ago. He didn't even look in the direction of the scene, instead waiting for Cherry to make his move.

Cherry had paused with the gun aimed at the taller man's head, subconsciously raising a brow in confusion when none of Joe's men stepped up to defend him. "No plus one today?" he asked with a hint of cockiness to his tone. He was being smug.   
"I wasn't expecting this affectionate surprise to be honest, Sakura. I believe it to be slightly rude to crash someone's wedding to make your own proposal." He was letting his mouth run before giving it a second thought and he couldn't help it. 

"tsk" 

"You killed my sister." 

As much as Joe wanted to protest he had no involvement in Ivy's murder and that he had not an idea as to why the blame landed on him - he couldn't. His words would fall on deaf ears. In this life - there was no excuses and once you were accused, that's that. He bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance as all eyes fell on him. The guests eyes were mixed between: fear, anger, blame and confusion. Joe didn't care in all honesty, he didn't know 99% of them and he wouldn't lose sleep over them hating him. 

When the male failed to give Cherry the response that he was looking for, a bullet was shot in the direction of his feet - purposely not hitting him. Cherry’s attempt to startle Joe hadn’t completely gone to waste, as now the guests began to scramble around aimlessly, trying to get out of harm’s way. Now all that was left was Joe on one side of the room and Cherry on the other - accompanied by his men. 

“Don’t be a fucking coward Joe and admit it!” anger was heavily present in his voice, causing Joe to let slip a chuckle. He was honestly amazed at how quickly Cherry had lost his cool; being the leader of such a profound gang up North couldn’t have been an easy job, and yet still - he let something as small as this - bother him this much. The man found it laughable. 

“I see.” The pink haired male spoke calmly now, and closed his eyes and he slowly began to advance towards Joe. The other didn’t even have the chance to do anything before his arms were prehended harshly behind his back and he was kicked to his knees. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, knowing he had gotten himself into a much worse situation. Instead of turning to another shitty remark, he looked up at Cherry - who was standing a mere few inches away, with a cold expression. Joe didn’t see the latter move but still he was met with a vigorous slap to the face, drawing blood instantly. Now, he didn’t look up - just staring at the ground to stop himself from laughing in the males face. Though he desperately wanted to wipe the look off his face, he was alone and wouldn’t stand a chance. Plus it seemed like too much hassle starting even more problems with Cherry and his people that he couldn’t be arsed to deal with. 

Cherry crouched down in front of Joe and thrust his chin up with his hand - coercing him to look direct at him. “I spent my precious time thinking about how I wanted to do this Kojiro.” He had a hard grip on Joe’s chin, that only grew stronger the more he spoke. As he went on to talk about his sister - it was clear that it affected him more than Joe imagined. “Ivy was beautiful. Such a burden-less soul. Is that why you killed her? Because she was beautiful? Because she was easy? She always saw the best in people so I can imagine her finding something of worth in you and letting her trust in you be broken when you killed her. And oh how i thought all of our issues were at rest; you’ve been living rather comfortably for a while now haven’t you Kojiro? Was she too boring for you Kojiro? Did you lose your temper and kill her Ko-Ji-Ro?” He talked and talked provocatively at Joe, trying to get a reaction out of him. 

Each sentence was spoken with venom with no gaps left for Joe to intervene, making him feel lamentable. However it took that last sentence to coerce Joe into shouting back in Cherry’s face and his men to struggle at restraining him opportunely. He’d managed to invade Cherry’s personal space. “I don’t know where the fuck you got the idea of me being associated with your dammed sister from - but it’s bullshit. And when i find out which fucker said it, i’ll make sure they can’t talk. I’ve never met the woman, I don't even know what she looks like for fucks sake! How about do you research fully before showing up with that smug look on your face thinking you’ve found an excuse to get back at me for-” Cherry’s eyes grew wide, before he pushed Joe down and had one knee pressed into his ribs, with the gun against his forehead. Cherry’s actions sparked that of his men and now each of them also had their guns aimed at him. 

Just as the men had pulled their guns out, the doors to the hall were swung open and a swarm of about 20 men came rushing in. They weren’t police and they definitely weren’t dressed like they had attended the wedding. They emanated from Joe’s gang and had managed to surround the current scene quickly. One of the lads looked pissed as he spoke to Joe; “ay Joe what the fuck is this? Why didn’t ya have any back up?” 

It turns out Hiromi had found a chance to slip away from the confrontation and contacted some of Joe’s men to come and deal with whatever was going on. Joe secretly thanked Hiromi for using his brain, but also cursed him for having so many of them get involved. 

“Wasn’t sure i’d need guns attending a wedding Arch,” he laughed slightly, having a hard time with Cherry’s knee digging into his ribs. The pink haired male hadn’t taken his gaze off Joe, and he didn’t need to because his men were prepared to fight if they needed to. “Tell your men to leave. This is between me and you.” Cherry practically spat, hsi expression filled with rage. “Can’t do that, and you know i can’t. Plus you started it and brought you men along with you - so it’s only fair.” he replied. It was true. Even if he did ask his men to leave - they wouldn’t without Joe. It was their code, and smart too. It wasn’t an issue of Joe not being able to control them, but it was a pact between all members of the gang - you never leave a man alone, especially in unfair circumstances such as these.

Cherry took a minute to think about his options and concluded with making his men stand down. He reluctantly released Joe from underneath him and took some steps back, with his arms folded. “I can’t afford to be having a shoot-out in such a place right now” is all he said, allowing Joe to make his way to Arch - who only looked relieved that they didn’t have to start shooting down the place. He just patted Joe on the shoulder and gestured for everyone else to leave. 

Cherry pulled up his mask once again and wrapped his blazer around his shoulders “This isn’t settled. I will kill you Kojiro. You’ve made a huge mistake to now make an enemy out of me” he said as he and his men approached a different exit. “See you around Sakura” is the last thing the male had to say before walking away with Arch at his side. 

//

While driving back to the North, Cherry sat silently in the back seats. One of his men decried the change in mood and decided to comment on it -- conscientiously. “Something still bothering you sir?” Cherry looked like he’d just been snapped out of a trance and shook his head; “No, nothing like that. Just thinking about something i need to do, once we return.” The other nodded contently and there was a comfortable silence again. Though he wasn’t one to customarily pry in Cherry’s business - he thought himself to be fairly close to the male and believed no harm in asking about some things that were on his mind, due to the incident. “You let that off pretty easily”   
“Like I said, I can't afford to have a shoot-out at some rando’s wedding. Plus they had more numbers with them - it would’ve been messy.” He spoke calmly, despite not being able to achieve what he had gone there for. “And Sakura?” “Shut up.” 

The other sensed it to be somewhat of a sensitive topic and didn’t endeavor too hard to get the male to speak, instead mumbling to himself and letting the matter go. 

// 

Meanwhile, Joe and Arch were walking back in the direction of Tony’s shop, laughing to themselves like infantile teenagers. “I mean, I don’t blame you for enjoying yourself there. You’ve been pretty MIA and i could only guess what that meant” Arch spoke with a soft tone upon mentioning the last part. Joe smiled to himself and nodded, not giving much of a verbal response. Albeit he didn’t directly show it - Arch was aware when Joe was struggling and wanted to lighten the mood. “So Kojiro, what fucking sins did you commit in your past life that left you parents naming you this way” he was joking, obviously, but he seemed genuinely curious about it. None of the gang members knew Joe’s birth name - so this was something new. “No clue. But if i catch you using it even once - you’ll pay with your fingers. Got it?” They both laughed the matter off and continued to walk along the roads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY!   
> sorry this took longer than a week to upload (i think)?  
> i've been busy and i also have school so bare with me~
> 
> i hope you're enjoying this and again, if you have any questions -- feel free to ask :)


	5. Why Are You Laughing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for a delayed update!  
> This chap is a bit short but next will be more on Cherry and the North!
> 
> Thank you for reading as always and have a good day <3

There was rumbling coming from the hangout room that Arch could hear from the end of the hallway - along with mumbles that he was sure would become shouts, the closer he got. He rubbed his temples and made his way to the room - just stopping outside the door when he heard Joe’s voice beaming through. “Who woulda thought a nobody like you would try and get me killed eh?” “Come on Joe y’know it wasn't like that-” Arch had guessed the second voice to belong to one of the younger members; Reki. As soon as the male heard a slam and a mix of oooh’s and aah’s - he kicked the doors open and raised a brow at the scene in front of him. Joe had Reki slammed against the wall by his collar and everyone else was watching like a bunch of buffoons. “What the fuck is happening in here?” Arch spoke loud enough to catch everyone's attention and make them shut up. One of the members started to explain the situation to Arch, saying that Reki had been the one to grass Joe up to someone supposedly from Cherry’s bunch and that’s how Cherry knew where Joe was going to be the other day. He sighed, annoyed and looked at Joe who now had Reki trapped between his muscular arms, against the wall. He had his head down and everyone could only watch in fear of what he would do. Arch began to say something to Joe but was interrupted by the sound of Joe...laughing? It started rather quiet but eventually broke out into something louder and more hysterical. The male shot his head up and cocked it to the left after realising the look of fear on Reki’s face. “Why are you..laughing” the younger male asked, with a hint of forced laughter - making sure to not piss Joe off any further. “YOU,” he raised his voice, causing the people in the room to flinch; “have just made my life so much more exciting.” His voice became low and raspy as he threw a cheekish grin in the direction of the other. He then practically jumped away from the boy and leaned over the pool table with his cue as if nothing had just happened. The room was silent for two minutes, until   
Arch made his way over to Reki for more information. 

“Oi Reki,” he strode over with his arms folded across his chest, looking like a dad about to give his son a lecture. Arch liked to think he was friendly with all of the members and most of them trusted him just as much as they trusted Joe; if they had any issues or shit that they couldn’t tell Joe about, they’d turn to Arch. He was like the older brother none of them had, and he was content with it. Seeing as though he was one of the longest members of the gang - everyone knew that taking orders from him - wasn’t an option and that he had a large influence in what happened. After all, it would be difficult for Joe to do everything himself. Especially when he randomly drops off the face of the Earth, every time he finds himself in an episode. Arch knew Joe long enough to know that, out of everyone, Joe wouldn’t have anyone but Arch taking over then. 

Reki was leaned against the wall with his hands in his yellow hoodie pocket, minding his own business. That was - until Arch copied his stance next to him and began asking questions. “What trouble has your stupid mouth got you into now then eh?” he tried his best to not sound too serious, though he knew the situation probably wasn’t that light. “Ahhh” the younger sounded frustrated and he looked it too. He pulled his headband off and ruffled his hair before beginning to explain. “It was just a huge mistake on my part. I was talking to a” he paused for half a moment before continuing, “a friend on facetime and i’d just heard about that girls death and the rumours with Joe being involved and that. I ended up saying that Joe was going to have trouble clearing his name with this one. I mean, he did go MIA about the same time it happened so..” he was basically rambling at this point. “There was someone else in the room with my friend and they heard it and took it the wrong way.” Arch raised a brow, “and how did they know he’d be at the wedding?” he sounded serious this time. “No idea, i swear They must’ve asked around.” Arch nodded somewhat satisfied but something was still bothering him about the reply he gave. “So you’re saying this friend is one of Cherry’s?” The red haired boy, stood up straight, grabbing his skateboard, “It was news to me” he shrugged “guess when you think you know someone, you don’t at all” is what he said before heading out of the room. 

Arch never admitted it but he did have favourites and Reki was one of them. Despite the three year age gap, they got on very well. Arch was the one to take Reki in when he was 13 after his parents both committed suicide, leaving him with nobody and nothing. Though Arch was only 16 at the time - he was mature enough to take responsibility for the younger until he could be independent for himself. Arch saw a lot of himself in Reki and he loved him like a brother. That said, he would defend and protect him at all costs. Sometimes the red haired boy could be a pain in the ass and a lot of work - but he was kind hearted, creative, ambitious and so much more. 

To be honest, once Reki left with his skateboard, Arch couldn’t get the last thing he said out of his mind. He knew Reki wasn’t the best at making friends and he was rather lonely, even if there were a few other kids his age in the gang. So the fact he did have a friend - that turned out to be one of Cherry’s men and ultimately got him in trouble, was upsetting. Though Reki never directly expressed his feelings, Arch knew him well enough to recognise when he wasn’t okay or when he was bottling shit up. He just hoped that this little thing wouldn’t do any damage to the boy's mental state. He had seen Reki go through a lot and was always there for him when he did; it wasn’t something he wanted to see again. 

//

Once Joe was finally alone, he managed to relax a bit and threw himself onto his bed. He had a few things on his mind; the person who actually killed Ivy, how he was going to deal with Cherry and the fact that he had a really fucking early shift at the restaurant tomorrow. He loved his job, he really did - but he didn’t love the 6:00am starts. All because it was Valentine's season and they had so many pre-bookings.

The more he thought of his situation with Cherry, the less solutions he found. If he managed to find who was actually involved in Ivy’s murder and somehow ‘clear his name’, then his life would be a lot easier. But something about the idea of being on alert 24/7 and clashing with Cherry and his people, excited him. It had been a while since anything this big happened and he was bored. So fucking bored. His life was a constant cycle of the same shit and he wanted something to look forward to - and if that meant looking forward to Cherry having a gun to his head - then so be it. 

It took him some thinking but managed to come to a conclusion. That being - if he couldn’t clear his name properly and it ended in a situation that put his men in real danger - then he would simply have to kill Cherry. He never had to think of doing it before because their disputes had never been that severe. Sure they had killed each other's men in the past, but nothing completely outrageous. This time everything felt fresh. Of course killing the leader of North Carvals gang was not going to be a piece of cake and it would take a lot of planning and preparation to actually pull it off, but it was more for the sadistic male to look forward to. 

He slept easy after that and only dreaded waking up for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arch is an OC of mine and i love him sm already!!  
> Also, i wonder who Reki's friend is...

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you're having a good day mwah <3
> 
> twt: @rekisbestie


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